


I Like Me Better (When I'm With You)

by Doodsxd



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Apologies, Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Billy Hargrove & Dustin Henderson friendship, Billy Hargrove Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove Is Bad at Feelings, Billy Hargrove Lives, Billy Hargrove Redemption, Billy Hargrove Tries to Be a Better Person, Bisexual Jonathan Byers, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Brotherly Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Coming Out, Cute, Everybody Lives, Flirting, Fluff and Crack, Gay Billy Hargrove, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Jonathan Byers & Steve Harrington Friendship, Language of Flowers, M/M, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, POV Steve Harrington, Past Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington - Freeform, Past Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Short & Sweet, Soft Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington-centric, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:09:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22107613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doodsxd/pseuds/Doodsxd
Summary: Then, two months later, Billy showed up at school.It was… different.For some reason, Steve had expected him to be sullen, sober, a little darker than before. But he looked lighter and brighter, like a weight had been lifted from his back and he could walk easier, talk easier, smile easier, without it holding him back.It was kind of a pleasant sight.Like, Steve was still sort of pissed, but. It had been awhile anyway. His face was all healed up, and he could see the outline of Billy’s scars through his shirts - he didn’t seem to make any effort to conceal them, surprisingly enough.And when he breezed away through the hallway and his eyes met Steve’s, he opened a smile. A real, non-smirking smile, soft and cute, and Steve.Just.What?
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 14
Kudos: 278





	I Like Me Better (When I'm With You)

**I like me better (when I’m with you)**

Writing prompt #283 by Shauna Philp  
“Shall we?”  
“Not even in your dreams.” 

They fought, and they won. They fought, and they almost died. 

Everybody left Starcourt Mall different than they were when they entered on that 4th of July. There was Billy’s blood on the sauna, a monster dead right on the center of the building, El was bleeding and Steve had yet another collection of scars and nightmares to deal with. 

The important thing was, though, that they lived. They _lived_ . He, his kids, Robin, even stupid Billy Hargrove survived the whole shitshow. They were all _alive_ , and that was all that mattered. 

Even if they were changed, even if they had scars in their bodies and mind, they most likely saved the world, and survived. 

Steve counted his blessings, and left the rest to be washed up with time. 

______________________________________________________________________

El’s and Steve’s physical recovery took, like, a week, maximum. Billy was in the freaky hospital with the freaky doctors for two whole months, though, from what Steve heard from Hopper. He was helping the boy out, Steve didn’t know why; apparently El had _bonded_ with him, or something, whens he entered his mind in search for the Mind Flayer.

Steve had no idea how or why that happened, but in the bottom of his heart he kinda wished that it wasn’t horrible for him as it was for him and Hopper, to be inside that hospital and see those people. Will didn’t seem to like it, either, and El was downright traumatized with doctors in general. 

But being possessed by a monster like the Mind Flayer, though? Nobody deserved that, even an asshole like Billy. No, for once, instead of wishing the Hospital to blow the fuck up, Steve wished it did right by Billy Hargrove. He would need a whole more help if what happened was to leave him _functional_ , to say the least. 

___________________________________________________________________

_Child abuse_ , Dustin said, shocking Steve. _Bruises and broken bones_ , Max collaborated. _Killed his mother_ , El revealed darkly. Every time Steve learned something new, another piece of the puzzle fell in place with Billy’s personality. It made sense, it explained a lot. Will and Jonathan went to an extreme; the awkwardness and the fear. Billy went to the other, becoming a bully himself to get some resemblance of control back over his life. None of it was ideal, but suddenly it was _understandable._

And Steve touched his nose, which still kinda hurt when it got cold too quick, and pondered, because he had no idea how to feel over all that. 

_________________________________________________________________

Then, two months later, Billy showed up at school. 

It was… different. 

For some reason, Steve had expected him to be sullen, sober, a little darker than before. But he looked _lighter_ and _brighter_ , like a weight had been lifted from his back and he could walk easier, talk easier, smile easier, without it holding him back. 

It was kind of a pleasant sight. 

Like, Steve was still sort of pissed, but. It had been awhile anyway. His face was all healed up, and he could see the outline of Billy’s scars through his shirts - he didn’t seem to make any effort to conceal them, surprisingly enough. 

And when he breezed away through the hallway and his eyes met Steve’s, he opened a smile. A real, non-smirking _smile_ , soft and cute, and Steve. 

Just.

What? 

______________________________________________________________________

“What happened to Hargrove?” A girl talked beside Steve at lunch. 

“I don’t know, but he’s changed.” Another agreed. 

“How?” Steve put himself into the conversation. He didn’t share classes with Billy. 

They exchanged a look. 

“He’s been answering all questions right in classes. I mean, I saw him get A’s before, but he never _participates_.”

“He also seems… less like a badass?” The other provided. “Like, before he had this _image_ of a bad boy that he tried to keep. But now he seems just… normal.” She shrugged. 

“Not to mention that he has been turning girls down ever since he came back to school.” The first girl added. 

Steve nodded his thanks for the information, and kept on nibbling on his food. 

Curiouser and curiouser. 

______________________________________________________________

He hadn’t been exactly _stalking_ the guy or anything, but. He happened to see him smile and hug and give Max her lunch money without protest, before class. And he saw him give back the books of a boy who had been thrown against a locker -- and, in a small glimpse of the old Billy, he threatened the hell out of the group of boys who did that, leaving them to cower in fear from the current (was he still?) king of Hawkins. 

Steve was not convinced, but. Well. He was just watching for how long it was going to last. 

____________________________________________________________

Max seemed happier too, though, which. Good. 

___________________________________________________________

“Hi, pretty boy,” Billy was cocking hips and smiling, leaning against Steve’s locker. “Can we talk?”

Steve shut his expression down. “I don’t know if you got anything to say to me, Hargrove.” 

Billy’s expression faltered for a moment. “Yeah, fair. I deserve that.” 

The admission did nothing to change Steve’s mind, so he just turned his back to leave. 

“I’m sorry.” Billy said, loud and clear, for the whole hallway to hear. 

Steve turned. 

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about what I did. You were better for her than I ever was.” He continued, looking straight into Steve’s eyes. “And I get it if you’re still pissed with me, and if you end up being pissed with me for your whole life. But I’d like you to know that I’m really sorry.”

Steve narrowed his eyes. “Only time will say how _sorry_ you really are, Hargrove.” He threw the punch, waited for it to land. “I’m marking the hours to see you turning back to what you were before.” 

Billy’s eyes didn’t harden, which was surprising to him. “I won’t.”

Steve huffed and turned to leave. “We’ll see.” 

________________________________________________________________

“Billy’s really sorry, you know?” Max asked him one day. At Steve’s shrug, she continued speaking. “He is!”

“Only time will say that, Max.” He prevented her. “You’re still young, but I’ve seen this before. He could turn back to where he was at the first difficulty.” He looked her fearful little eyes, sheepish. “It’s not that I don’t wanna believe him. It’s just that it takes more than saying he’s sorry for me to believe him. 

“What would it take, then?” Max asked, eager. 

Steve shrugged, biting on his sandwich. “Time, I guess.” 

She looked thoughtful, but stopped talking, and Steve felt like he was doing a good job warning the girl about the evils of humanity. 

It was better for her to be prepared, in the long run. 

___________________________________________________________

Steve started to find flowers in his locker. 

First it was purple hyacinth. Then a champagne rose. Fuchsia followed, iris, wallflower, coltsfoot.

Then, a gardenia. Following that, yellow acacia. 

He put them all pointedly inside the garbage can, but his heart jumped and his palms sweat the whole day after that. 

____________________________________________________________

“Hey, pretty boy,” Billy had been waiting for him by his locker with a white azalea in his hands. 

As soon as Steve was in front of him, he offered it. To him. 

“What?” 

“It’s a flower.” Billy answered dumbly. “A white azalea.” 

Steve took it. The hallway was packed. “What?” 

“It means-”

“I know what it means,” Steve gritted through his teeth, aware of all the eyes on them, wondering how many of those understood the meaning of the goddamn flower. “Do _you_ know what it means?” 

“Wouldn’t be holding it if I didn’t,” Billy assured him, looking… not cocky, not like usual. A little uncertain, despite his confidence. 

Steve took a beat to breathe, to take air into his lungs again. “... _why?_ ” 

“That’s pretty clear, Steve.” He answered. “I can call you Steve, right?” 

Steve just… took the flower. And _looked_ , disbelieving. 

He looked at Billy. 

“I’m not going on a date with you.” He said, something in his chest clenching. “I’m _not_. This is preposterous.”

“What, because I’m a guy?” Billy looked already resigned with that. 

“Fuck that, you could be a _horse_ , I wouldn’t date you,” Steve narrowed his eyes. 

“Why?” Billy relaxed, looking a little like he was amused. It was _infuriating_.

“Because you beat me half to death just a couple of months ago!” He screeched. 

“Well, I can point out two good things at that,”

“What?” Steve was incredulous, indignant. Ugh. Was that boy insane?

“First, I apologized,” He put one finger up. “And it was sincere, too.”

“I can’t know that,” 

“-and second,” He put another finger up. “I proved that I can.” 

Oh my _God_ . “ _How_ would that _ever_ be a good thing?” 

“That means I’m able to protect you. I’m strong enough, fast enough, and I know how to fight.” He took a step forward, blue eyes piercing through Steve’s. “And I’d really rather be by your side from now on, pretty boy.” Billy looked at the flower, and then at Steve’s face. “I really would.” 

Steve thought about it. “No. _No_. I’m not going to date you.” He huffed, turning to his own locker, trying to ignore the other boy. “And stop giving me flowers.” 

Billy nodded, offering him a little smile, still. He left Steve feeling like his world had been turned upside down, worse than the real Upside Down. 

___________________________________________________________________

On the following day there was an anemone on his locker.

Steve eyed it. Smelled it. 

He left it where it was, before turning and leaving for class. 

_________________________________________________________________

“What’s up with Hargrove?” Nancy asked him one day, sitting beside him on the cafeteria, Jonathan on her heels. 

“Dunno.” Steve didn’t really want to talk to her. Let him be petty for a while, please, people?

“He’s been staring at you.” She insisted. “I saw him give you flowers.” 

He shrugged noncommittally as a way of response. 

Jonathan, though. Jonathan had those photographer’s eyes over Steve, collecting every detail. “He asked you out.” He concluded. 

Nancy’s cutlery fell loudly on her plate. “He _what?_ ” 

Steve shrugged. “He did.” Looking at Jonathan. 

“You said no?” Jonathan asked. 

“Of course he said no!” Nancy looked all nervous. It was annoying. “He’s- he’s a boy!”

“So?” Steve asked her, looking as unamused as he felt by her commentary. 

“So-” The girl looked rattled, still, but, really. It wasn’t her place at all. “You’re not… not like _that_.” She said, as if it was a dirty word. 

“Actually, Nancy,” Jonathan was the one to answer. Fucking hell, Steve had to admire that. The boy had balls. “We and Steve are both… like that. Like, bisexual.” He explained calmly. “We hooked up a couple of times.” 

“You _what?”_ She looked from one of them to the other. “You…?” 

Steve shrugged. “Yeah.” He said, and finished his plate. “And keep an eye for your brother, because he is _definitely_ not straight. Like, at all.” 

Jonathan, thankfully, ignored Nancy leaving, knowing, like Steve did, that all she needed was some time to organize her head. 

“I said no.” He told Jonathan, who looked suspicious. 

“Why?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “He beat me, remember?” 

“Yes.” He agreed. “But he apologized. And changed his behavior. And got you flowers in front of everybody. I was curious so I researched some of the meanings.” His smile was always small, shy, and all the more valuable, meaningful, for it. “He’s really into you, Steve. And you deserve what he’s offering.” 

Steve sure felt surprised at that. “What do you mean?”

Jonathan laughed. “Man… he’s wooing you. In plain sight.” Was his answer. “He’s willing to do that, despite all the fallout that may be happening to him right this moment, right after two months in the hospital because of… you know what.” He shrugged. “Maybe dropping the façade was his new-life’s resolution or something. But you’re never gonna know it if you don’t try it out and see.” 

Steve felt his resolve shake again. “You’re just afraid Nancy’s gonna come back to me now that my face isn’t broken anymore.” He joked, making Jonathan laugh. 

“I’m afraid you’re gonna miss on some very well-reviewed sex, actually.” He finished his juice box. “I’m kinda curious.” 

“Perv.” Steve rolled his eyes, but he had missed this. Not necessarily hooking up, but feeling close to somebody, emotionally, like he felt right then with Jonathan. 

“I should probably go talk to Nancy now.” He said then, and Steve chuckled. “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.”

“Yeah.” The other boy agreed, and left. 

Steve saw Billy watching, and then disappearing through the cafeteria’s doors, too. 

_Fuck_.

__________________________________________________________________________

“Hey, pretty boy,” The nickname was starting to give him the heebie-jeebies. 

“What, Hargrove?’ 

He placed a red rose right in front of Steve. “Go out with me?”

Steve shut his locker loudly. “No.” 

“We can go get some ice cream,” He insisted, following Steve to the entryway of the school. “Or burgers. Or watch a movie.” 

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Hargrove.” Why the _fuck_ did he have to look _that_ good? He always did, Steve objectively knew that, but to have _all_ his charm directed at him like a fucking wrecking ball, after the imagery Jonathan put in his mind with that conversation… but no. No fucking way. 

“Okay, but hear me out,” Billy insisted, stepping in front of him at the door. “Hear me out. I’ll drive the brats around for a _week_. You won’t have to lift a fucking finger.” 

Steve rolled his eyes. He was doing that a lot. “I happen to _like_ those brats.”

“But not driving them around.” Billy reminded him with an infuriating _deliciousbiteable_ smirk. 

“No.” Steve answered, eyebrow cocked. 

“Alright.” Billy nodded, accepting it. “I’ll walk you to your car, though. Shall we?” He stepped to the side, leaving Steve’s way open once again. 

“Not even in your dreams.” He answered, and walked straight to his car, angry, and annoyed, and frustrated, and horny, and if Dustin didn’t arrive in _five seconds_ , he was gonna kill somebody, for sure. 

________________________________________________________________________

“Hey, pretty boy,” _Jesus Christ_. “Did it hurt?” 

“Did what hurt?” Steve asked, distracted, selecting the books he would need for the day. 

“Did it hurt when you fell outta heaven?” Billy was licking his canine, and his… _friends_ were laughing behind him, but, for once, it seemed like they were laughing at the right thing, because _damn_ that was a bad line. 

“Fuck you, Hargrove.”

“Dunno how you still have your licence after driving all those people around crazy.” He just _kept going_ , no matter how ridiculous he looked or sounded. 

“Hargrove, honestly, you’re just embarrassing yourself-” 

“My friends over there wanna know if you think I’m cute.” He arched one eyebrow, looking all like the evil, smug motherfucker that he was. Steve was almost breaking. 

“Harg-”

“If it’s true that we are what we eat, then you could be me by morning.” He said, and finally, _finally,_ Steve cracked. 

He started to laugh, harder and harder, until he had to hold on to the wall to stop himself from falling to the floor with laughter. 

And Billy, Billy didn’t seem offended by that. If anything, his smile looked softer, pleased that he made Steve laugh like that. 

“Fuck, that’s so _bad_ ,” Steve wiped his eyes, still sort of chuckling. “Where did you _get_ all that?” 

“Here and there,” He shrugged, looking pleased. 

“Can’t have been easy, not in a town like this,” Steve pointed out. 

Billy shrugged again, and reached out to Steve’s face. Steve let him, curious. The back of Billy’s hand touched the corner of his lips softly. “Nothing I wouldn’t do for one of those, baby boy.” 

Steve let his breath hitch. Cast his eyes down. “What about your father?” He asked. 

“Me and him have an understanding now,” Billy assured him. “He stays the hell outta my business, I stay outta his. I’m done letting him dictate how I life my life.” His fingers slid down, cupping Steve’s cheek. “Dying does that to a person.” 

“New-life resolution.” Steve couldn’t help but smile at the irony of life. “Okay, I guess. Sure. I’ll go out with you.” Billy’s smile widened beautifully, sun coming from behind clouds after days of rain. “But! On one condition.” 

“Anything, pretty boy.” 

“... you’re driving the kids around for a week.”

“I knew it!” Billy laughed. “Henderson owes me five bucks.”

Steve frowned. “You bet against Dustin?” 

“Won, too.” His smile was gorgeous, and he apologized, and he _did_ change, putting himself in that dangerous, ridiculous position just to make Steve _laugh-_

Steve leaned forward and pecked Billy on his lips. Just a quick thing; a promise. Steve kept rubbing one lip on the other afterwards, Billy looked transfixed by the sight. “I have another request.” Conversation was quiet, now. Just for them. 

“Yeah?” He sounded breathless. _Fuck_. 

“I heard rumors about you. Good rumors.” He tried to quelch down his smirk, with no success. “About some… _prowesses_ of yours.” 

Billy’s smile was _huge_. “Yeah?” He asked. “Prowesses, is that right?” 

“Yeah.” Steve’s smile matched his, by then. “I want you to promise me you’ll put your best game on, cause it’s been a while there.” 

“Thirsty. I like it.” Billy chuckled. “Sure thing, baby boy. Glad to be of service.” 

“Don’t mean I’ll be easy, though, Hargrove.” He replied. “I’m thirsty but I’m fancy, too. You gotta woo me into it.” 

“No need to say that, Steve.” Billy got Steve’s hand and _kissed it_ , the ridiculous bastard. Steve could swoon. “I have loads of plans to woo you.” 

“That seems like it demands a lot of time.” Steve didn’t let go of his hand. “You sure you’re up for it? Cause I spend a lot of that time with the brats, too.”

His smile was blinding. “Don’t worry, baby boy.” Steve shuddered once again, feeling a little feverish, even. “I got a lot of time, and I wanna spend it with you. Almost died, came back, ‘m tired of faking stuff. What you see is what you get.” He shrugged. “And, baby boy, trust me when I say this,” He pecked Steve on the lips too. “I like me better when I’m with you.” 

“Smooth, Hargrove. Smooth.” Steve chuckled, and he was _ridiculous_ , but Steve was probably a little ridiculous too, to be this charmed by the whole thing. 

And maybe that was OK, too. 

After all, they survived. They were all alive, and that’s all that mattered. 

Now, though, they should really go back to _living_. And, for Steve, apparently, that involved sticking his tongue in Billy Hargrove’s throat. 

Then again, why not, right? He tried _so_ hard. It was cute. 

Steve counted his blessings, and left the rest to be washed up with time. 

____________________________________________________________

**Author's Note:**

> flower meanings by order:   
> first scene: apology/respect, admiration/friendliness/faith,friendship,value,wisdom/adversity,friendship/concern/secret love/secret love.   
> second scene: romance  
> third scene: perseverance
> 
> website I used for flower meanings: http://www.flowersngarden.com/flower-meaning.htm  
> I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
